What is Amazon Prime Student? Here’s what you need to know
Want the benefits of Amazon Prime for half the price? Well, you can if you're a student
Amazon is one of the most successful and well-known online retailers out there. With over half of all online shoppers using Amazon to search for a product, Amazon has plenty of incentive to want to turn those shoppers into buyers and, hopefully, long-term customers. To achieve this, it created Amazon Prime.
A paid subscription service, Amazon Prime offers its users improved delivery options for their purchased items, deals, access to services such as Prime Video and Music and provides exclusive benefits for Kindle readers. It does, however, come with a cost, coming in at £95 per year or £8.99 a month.
That’s a hefty sum of money to part with, especially if you’re living as a student. Being a student, saving money may as well be an honorary part of your degree, and the folks at Amazon are aware of this. The company’s compromise: Amazon Prime Student. What is it, exactly? Read on to find out.
READ NEXT: How does Amazon Prime Video compare to Netflix?
What is Amazon Prime Student? Everything you need to know
What is Amazon Prime Student?
Amazon Prime Student works similarly to Amazon Prime except, well, it’s cheaper. There’s a bit more nuance to it than that, sure, but for now, that’s basically the long and short of it. Whereas you’d usually have to pay £95 for a year’s worth of Amazon Prime, Amazon Prime Student only has you paying £47.49 per year, or £4.49 per month. The biggest difference between the two, however, is that you kind of have to be a student to use Amazon Prime Student. I know, we were shocked when we learned this too.
When purchasing a student membership, you’ll be entitled to all the benefits of a regular Prime account, so there’s no need to worry about being short-shifted with only half the perks. Actually, that’s not completely true, but we’ll get to that later. For now, what’s important to know is that you’ll get more or less everything, no questions asked. Okay, well, there may be some questions asked.
How do I get an Amazon Prime Student account?
As we said before, you have to be a student currently enrolled at either college or university to be eligible for an Amazon Prime Student account. However, it’s not as simple as just ticking a box that says “I’m definitely a student”. Amazon doesn’t want people taking advantage of its service if they don’t fit the criteria.
Getting a student account isn’t complicated, though. Once you’re enrolled in a university, you’ll typically be given your own student email. To sign up for Amazon Prime Student membership, you’ll need to use this university address when you’re asked to type in your email.
The reason for this is because student email address end with “ac.uk”, which is what Amazon will use to identify you as a student. To actually sign up, all you have to do is click this link, follow the instructions and you’ll eventually be sent an email containing a verification link, which you’ll use to complete the sign-up process.
READ NEXT: What is Amazon Prime channels?
What does Amazon Prime Student come with?
In addition to all the perks that come with a regular Prime subscription, you’ll automatically receive a free six-month trial if this is your first time signing up to a student account. If you want to continue your account after those first six months, only then will you start paying. So, if you don’t like what you’ve seen, there’s no further commitment necessary.
What if I’m a student but already have a regular Prime account? Is it possible to change to a student account?
Yes, you can. When you’re completing your Amazon Student Prime submission form, the only email address it asks for is your student email address. Even if your regular Prime account is registered to a non-student email, all Amazon needs you to do is confirm your verification email using a student email account. That way, Amazon will know you’re a student and your Prime membership will change accordingly.
Not only that, but if you already have a Prime account and change it to a student one, you’ll be refunded for the months of your current Amazon Prime subscription that you’ve already paid for.
Is it possible to keep an Amazon Prime Student account for as long as I want?
We’re afraid not. Depending on which comes first, your graduation or four years of having a student account, your membership will automatically renew on its anniversary date and transform itself into a normal Amazon Prime subscription.
Is there anything else I need to know?
There are a few things, sure. You can’t share your Amazon Prime Student account with anyone else. Also, some of the benefits of an Amazon Prime membership will only become available to you after the initial six-month free trial, such as Kindle First, Kindle Owner’s Lending Library or Amazon Family benefits. So, if you’re unable to access some of Prime’s features during those first six months, that’s likely the reason why.